Bail Review Project

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

The purpose of Pretrial Services is to provide defendant background information and recommendations that will assist Judicial Officers in determining or reconsidering terms and conditions of bail and to provide supervised release on bail in lieu of secured bond. Judicial Officers face difficult decisions when determining whether to release an accused on bail or to commit to jail, in reconsideration of bail, and in setting appropriate terms of bail. A pretrial investigation report is intended to assist judicial officers with this process, especially at initial appearance and at subsequent bail appeal hearings. Pretrial supervision services are primarily targeted for a person for whom bail has been set but is detained in jail due to the defendant’s inability to meet a secure bond. Pretrial services are intended to replace the use of secure bond as a term of bail. The program allows the release from custody to supervision by a pretrial services agency with or without an unsecured bond. The intent is to increase the use of non-secure bond as a term of release on bail and to increase court appearances rate. The Bail Review Project takes these services beyond first appearance. Pretrial Services, through the bail review project, identifies defendants that have already had an investigation conducted at first appearance and are appropriate candidates for release pending trial, but are still in jail for the sole reason of being unable to meet the financial conditions of release.